1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an animal feeding and watering device and specifically to a device that supplies food and water with improved ease of operation to move, fill and clean the device and an improved design for compact shipping and inventory.
2. Prior Art
Pet ownership, particularly of dogs and cats, is expanding worldwide. Multiple pet households are also increasing. Storing and delivering a greater quantity of fresh pet food and clean water to the pets is a growing challenge for pet owners. Traditional pet watering and feeding devices have expanded in variety but still lack in the areas of convenience, ease of use and maintenance as detailed in the following discussion focusing on pet watering devices followed by a discussion on pet feeding devices.
Pet Watering Devices:
Pet watering devices that supply greater quantities of fresh water, than the traditional pet watering dish, are in demand. One of the most popular watering devices is the gravity feed watering system. They are available in several water storage capacities and are generally low in cost and convenient.
Some common gravity feed watering systems use a 2 liter bottle or similar sized vessel, filled with water, as the water storage container. The storage bottle is then inverted into a drinking receptacle and the bottle neck is attached by a threaded connection or by some other means. The water then dispenses from the storage bottle into the pet drinking dish. As the pet drinks from the dish the water is replenished until the water storage bottle empties. To refill the device the process is repeated. U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,434 to Gardner (1986) discloses a common gravity feed watering device.
There are at least 4 inherent problems with this particular system. The first is encountered after filling the water storage bottle. When the bottle is filled and then inverted into the drinking receptacle, spillage inevitably occurs. The second problem is that after the bottle has been connected to the drinking receptacle and the drinking dish filled, spilling can occur if the watering device is lifted or moved. The third problem is that water leaves deposits and other impurities on the inside wall of the storage bottle, which is unhealthy for the pets. With a narrow opening at the bottle neck, there is no access for a hand to reach in to scrub and clean the inside of the bottle for sanitary maintenance. The fourth problem is that a 2 liter supply of water, in many situations, is not large enough. An active dog can drink approximately 90 milliliters of water per kilogram of body weight a day. One active dog weighing 20 kilograms (44 pounds) will have approximately one days supply of water with a 2 liter bottle (68 ounces). With multiple pet households on the rise, clearly a greater reservoir of water is desirable for many pet owners.
More current gravity feed watering devices have been developed with larger water storage capacities from 3.8 liters to over 18.9 liters. These large bottle watering devices generally operate on the same principles and with similar functionality as the small bottle watering devices. U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,184 to Pearce (1973), U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,783 to Finnegan (1997) and US Pat. D406,926 to Kolozsvari (1999) are all inventions that provide a greater supply of water but have similar problems as the smaller watering devices plus some new issues.
Many of the problems associated with the large bottle animal watering devices have to do with the weight of the bottle when filled with water. A standard 18.9 liter water bottle weighs over 18.9 kg (42 pounds). After the user fills this bottle, the combined weight of the water plus the weight of the bottle itself must be lifted, inverted and inserted back into the base receptacle. This is a difficult and awkward process for most people and places strain on the arms, legs and back muscles. Again spillage occurs from the mouth of the bottle during this filling, inverting and insertion process. This spillage can be considerable especially if the user does not insert this heavy bottle into the drinking receptacle quickly and accurately. The drinking receptacle components have a tendency to move and separate if the weight of the bottle is not properly distributed when inserted, causing more spillage. In addition these bottles are typically made of plastic or glass so if they are accidentally dropped during this filling process they can easily crack or break.
Some inventors have created animal watering devices with water storage containers that can be filled from the top. U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,248 to Boyd (1998) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,361 to Bowell/Peterson (2000) have disclosed animal watering devices that can be filled through a narrow aperture at the top of the storage container. Both inventions however retained some of less desirable characteristics of the large container systems. The filling apertures are narrow so scrubbing and cleaning the interior wall of the container remains a problem. Another issue that remains is portability. These systems are heavy at full capacity and extremely awkward to move or reposition.
Still another problem with all the large capacity watering systems is that they are costly to ship and inventory because of the ample volume they occupy. Whether they are shipped in a container, by rail car or tractor trailer, the primary determinant of the shipping cost is the volume being shipped. As a result there is a need to ship as much product as possible in a given volume. Similarly in most retail locations, shelf space is at a premium. Retailers seek to have a broad range of products with limited storage space. Many mass retailers will not accept products that cannot be shipped and inventoried in a compact manner. An 18.9 liter bottle has a volume of 18.92 cubic centimeters (0.67 cubic feet). To ship a quantity of 100 would require 1892 cubic centimeters (67 cubic feet). This is a problem for the large capacity watering devices. Because of their design they are generally packaged and shipped individually, limiting the load quantities, thereby increasing costs.
Pet Feeding Devices:
Storage and feeding devices for dry pet food come in many varieties, shapes and sizes. There are generally 2 divergent methods for feeding a pet. The first method is to provide your pet a constant supply of food with a feeding device that has a storage container which automatically replenishes the feeding dish as the food is consumed. The most popular are gravity feed devices for their low cost and convenience. The second method is to manually feed your pet, taking food from a storage container directly to a feeding dish. Most veterinarians agree that a measured and controlled amount of food for your pet mitigates some of the health problems that may occur from a pet that over eats. Many pet owners follow this method. Both feeding methods and devices have there limitations and problems.
There are several concerns with the gravity feed devices. These feeders typically have a food storage container with an opening at the bottom that directs food into a pet feeding dish. As the pet eats, the dish is automatically replenished with food until the storage container supply is depleted. This enables the pet to eat from the dish and have access to the entire volume of food in the storage container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,981 to Harper (2002) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,143 to Simon (1989) are typical of these feeders.
The first concern is that veterinarians agree that most animals, especially pets such as dogs and cats, have specific nutritional requirements based on age, activity level, size and weight. Many brands of dry dog food for example, will include feeding information based on the dog's age, size and weight. Pets with unlimited access to a food source tend to overeat which can lead to obesity and a range of pet diseases.
Another concern with the gravity feed device is that it attracts other animals and insects. These feeders are an open food source and tend to attract hungry animals such as a neighbors pet or rogue animals such as coyotes or possums which can harm pets. Insects, especially ants, are also attracted which can lead to infestation and food spoilage problems.
Still another concern with gravity feed device is the exposure to the elements. Food that is exposed to air becomes stale and can become spoiled when exposed to rain or other elements.
There are concerns with manual feeding devices. These devices are typically comprised of a food storage container and a separate feeding dish. After filling the feeding dish many pets (especially dogs) tend to move and push the dish away from the storage container when eating or playing, occasionally spilling the dish and making the dish difficult to find at the next feeding time
Another concern is that the food storage containers come in a variety of capacities, and similar to the watering devices, portability is an issue. A large dog food bag that weighs 20 kilograms (44 pounds) emptied into a storage container makes that container heavy and very difficult to move and reposition which can be inconvenient.
Another problem is that most animal feeding devices have containers that are not air-tight which allows the food to become stale and loose some of its nutritional value. It can also provide access to insects.
All of the large capacity animal feeding devices, as with the watering devices, heretofore known, are bulky and need to be packaged separately for shipping and storage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,460 to Skurdalsvold/Vanskiver (2002) recognized this problem. They disclosed two food dispensers that can be packaged together, but they still nevertheless occupy substantial volume so shipping and inventory costs remains an issue.